


The Luckiest Fern

by charmingwords23



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, houseplant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 23:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmingwords23/pseuds/charmingwords23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Felicity's relationship according to their new fern.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Luckiest Fern

**Author's Note:**

> This idea popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

My earliest memories are of sitting in the nursery next to my friends waiting to be adopted. When my soon-to-be mom walked in and I caught a glimpse of her golden hair through the leaves of a nearby maple tree sapling, I knew I wanted her to pick me.

And she did.

She carefully picked me up, pot and all, and carried me over to the register. After she asked a few questions about how to take care of me and handed the man a shiny silver card, we left together.

My friends waved their leaves at me as we passed, and I smiled in pride.

I had the most beautiful mom ever.

 

* * *

 

 

It turned out that I wasn’t the only one who thought so. When my mom brought me home and set me on a desk next to her computers (which she called her ‘babies,’ but I think we all know that I’m her true baby), she gave me some water and arranged my leaves so that I would be comfortable.

“You’ll be the perfect plant to lighten this place up,” she murmured softly before sitting down and tapping the keys on her computer.

A little while later, I cringed when I heard loud, clunking footsteps coming down the stairs. My mom didn’t seem bothered though. Instead, she seemed excited. A man wearing a green leather suit came into my view and quickly approached my mom. She introduced me to him, letting him know that I would be a perfect fit since I “thrive in the light” – something I’m very proud of.

“I let you buy me a bed,” he chided with a teasing grin on his face.

“You were sleeping on the floor,” my mom returned easily. They just stared at each other for a few seconds with little smiles on their faces.

I learned that his name was Oliver, and that I was a gift from my mom to him.

I learned that Oliver and I had a lot in common (and not just because we both wore green).

You see, when my mom wasn’t looking, Oliver looked at her like she was the most perfect, beautiful being on Earth. I know the look because I look at her the same way. When I saw him staring after my mom as she left as if she was an incarnation of the sun, I knew that Oliver and I were going to get along just fine.

It didn’t take me long to realize that Oliver would one day become my dad.

 

* * *

 

 

The first time I realized Oliver and my mom were meant to be was the time that he gave my mom the most beautiful birthday gift.

It had been a long, cold winter. My mom and dad hadn’t been getting along. I wasn’t sure exactly what had happened other than after Oliver had carried my mom down the stairs covered in blood and ash, things had been different. He still looked at her like she was the only source of light in a dark room, but he didn’t smile as much (and neither did she). She had started spending less time with me (I blame that Ray guy and his goofy hair and even goofier jokes), so Oliver had taken care of me all winter.

I had watched him sit alone with his head in his hands every time my mom left, and I had even seen him take out his frustration on the tennis balls across the room.

But then, one day in the spring, my mom and dad had come home holding hands and smiling at each other. They had even kissed right in front of me. I wasn’t sure what had changed between them, but my heart soared to see them so happy.

My mom’s birthday was in the early summer. I watched Oliver spend hours every night after she went home to try to make this gift for her and keep it a surprise. My mom is usually very perceptive, so I was surprised that she didn’t notice the subtle changes around the foundry that my dad was leaving. I suppose that’s why in the week leading up to her birthday, I noticed my dad kiss her every time she started looking towards the area where he was keeping the surprise.

On her birthday, I was so anxious for her to arrive for the night (and so was my dad). When she did walk in, she looked as beautiful as ever. My dad kissed her and she smiled at him warmly.

“Oliver, you didn’t have to do that!” she chided happily as she noticed the small gift bag sitting next to me.

“I’m not just going to let my girlfriend’s birthday go uncelebrated,” he replied with an equal amount of excitement. “Open it.”

Mom bit her lip and nodded. She reached into the gift bag, removed the tissue paper, and then stuck her hand in again. She pulled out a small black remote, then looked at him curiously.

“What is this?” she questioned. “Because I know it can’t be what I think it is.”

Dad smiled at her, wider than I’ve ever seen him smile, and then walked towards the other end of the room to reveal the surprise he’d been working on.

“Oliver, what –”

My mom’s breath caught in her throat when she saw the brand new workstation with a new computer sitting in the dark corner. She looked from the computer to Oliver with her mouth open in an ‘O’ shape.

“Obviously we can move it to –”

“Is that a Remus XIS 4000 with a triple core processor and partial holograph projector?” she breathed as she walked up to it and ran her hands over the smooth screen.

Oliver nodded.

“Ho – how did you get it? It’s not available to the public… I’ve tried every override I can think of and I still couldn’t get my hands on one.”

“Amanda owed us after what she tried to pull a few months ago.” He shifted nervously on his feet, and I noticed his hands doing that weird thing they always do when he’s tense. “Is it what you wanted?”

“What I wanted?” mom questioned, turning to face him with a bright smile on her face. Her smile grew when she saw how nervous he was (she was even better at reading his moods than me!), and she threw herself into his arms and attached her lips to his. He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. “It’s perfect,” she whispered against his lips.

Dad smiled and touched his forehead to hers. “Happy birthday, Felicity.”

The rest of the evening was spent with me averting my eyes and trying my best to close my ears because, really, there are some things that you just never want to witness your parents doing.

 

* * *

 

After that, I knew deep in my roots that my parents were the real deal. I still remember the day my mom came home wearing a shiny new ring on her left hand. She had been a little late that day, and my dad was getting anxious. He had already called her, but she didn’t answer, and Uncle Diggle and Uncle Roy were starting to give each other exasperated looks because of his pacing back and forth. To be honest, Dad was starting to make me a little dizzy as well.

Then, I finally heard the click-clack of my mom’s heels on the stairs, and I saw my dad physically let out a breath and relax. I also saw Uncle Roy roll his eyes.

“Sorry I’m late!” mom called as she hastily walked towards her computers, waving her hands in an apology. “I got caught up at the office and –”

“What is that?!” Uncle Roy suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the shiny new jewelry on my mom’s hand. I noticed my dad smirk and my mom’s face go red as she froze in place.

“Um…well…we’re engaged,” she replied while flashing her hand in the air and looking to my dad who stayed where he was (next to me) and beamed at her.

Excited exclamations of congratulations came from my uncles and I watched as everyone gave everyone else hugs. My family chatted and celebrated for a couple minutes, and I looked on completely content.

As my mom sat across the room retelling the story of my dad proposing to my Uncle Roy who was bent over laughing (apparently my dad had stuttered his way through his speech a few times), I noticed my dad and Uncle Diggle leaning up against my desk.

“Congratulations, man,” Uncle Diggle said sincerely in a voice that I could barely hear over Uncle Roy’s guffaws. “I’m happy for you both.”

“Thanks,” my dad responded in a thick voice as he watched my mom.

“You know, not long ago you told me you weren’t sure if marriage was something you wanted since what we do is so dangerous. You said you didn’t want to complicate her life if something happened to you,” Diggle continued in a low voice. “What changed your mind?”

Dad cleared his throat, but never took his eyes off Mom. “She knew I felt that way. After we took down Tockman again last week, she read me the riot act about how this was her life too and she should be able to decide if it’s a risk she’s willing to take.”

“And you agreed,” Diggle nodded.

“No,” Dad shook his head, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face. “But I need her and I want this with her. And I’m too selfish to give it up.”

Uncle Diggle clapped my dad on the back. My mom turned to meet my dad’s eyes, and she smiled brightly. He smiled back.

Ever since then, I’ve gotten to bask in the light reflected off my mom’s engagement ring almost every day.

 

* * *

 

 

Everything hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for my parents though. I’ll never forget the first time I saw my dad cry.

It was a few days before the wedding when a stranger appeared in our home. My parents were out doing whatever people do before they get married, when all of a sudden a man in a black and orange mask showed up to destroy our home. He went on a rampage then, using swords to slice through wires and drop the lights from our ceiling. He flipped over shelves, and knocked me off my desk. I fell to the floor and winced in fear when my pot shattered into a thousand pieces. He left a note on my mom’s computer.

It read: “I’m back to finish what I started. I keep my promises.”

When my dad and Uncle Diggle came down the stairs not long after, I could hear my dad’s sharp intake of breath when he saw the mess that awaited him.

“Felicity!” he shouted as he rushed down the stairs. “Felicity!” He ran frantically towards the desk I was supposed to be seated on and shoved the debris out of his way. “Digg! She’s not here! She’s supposed to be here!”

Uncle Diggle looked more shaken than I had ever seen him as he rushed past my dad and towards my mom’s computer. “Oliver,” he said solemnly.

My dad took one look at the computer screen and cursed loudly. He ran his hand through his hair and quickly pressed his cell phone to his ear. A moment later, he hung it up. “She’s not answering. How the hell did this happen? He’s supposed to be on that damn island!”

“I’m calling Amanda now,” Diggle responded urgently.

My dad was on his phone again. “Felicity, when you get this, call me.” He paused. “Please,” he added in a broken tone.

“Waller isn’t answering either.”

“Damn it!” My dad swore frantically. “How do I do that tracker thing she’s always using?”

“I’ll see if I can get it on.”

My dad’s phone rang in his hand and he answered without even looking at it. “Felicity. Thank God.”

Uncle Diggle stopped what he was doing and leaned against the side of the desk, letting out a deep breath. I watched my dad anxiously for news of my mother. She hadn’t been here since last night, but he seemed really worried about her. Instead of the usual soft smile he wore when he was listening to her talk, his mouth fell and his eyes went wide. I watched in fear as the color drained from his face.

“I’ll be right there,” he rasped and then hung up. “She’s at the hospital,” he supplied shakily before grabbing his compact square bow (which the masked man had failed to notice) and charging for the stairs – Uncle Diggle close behind.

In the days that followed, I didn’t see my mom or my dad. Uncle Diggle and Uncle Roy stopped by a few times to start cleaning up. When my dad finally did re-appear, I watched him slowly trudge down the stairs. His hair was disheveled and standing on end, his shirt was untucked, his tie loose, it looked like he hadn’t shaved in days, and under his eyes were puffy and dark. I had never seen him look this way. It scared me.

When he saw me on the floor, he slowly walked over and knelt down in front of my bent and broken branches. He shakily picked up the broken ceramic shards of what used to be my pot. As he did so, I felt a little drop of water land on one of my leaves. It had been a few days since I had been watered, so the salty wetness did little to quench my deep thirst. It was then that I realized the water had been a tear drop.

My dad – my strong, stoic dad – was crying.

I was scared. What did that mean about my mom? I couldn’t imagine anything having the power to make him cry except my mom.

Dad threw the broken shards into a nearby trashcan, then grabbed a small bucket. He gingerly scooped me up, roots and all, and set me down into the bucket.

“Oliver?” Uncle Diggle called from behind us. Dad took a moment to wipe his eyes and take a breath, then he turned around. “How is she?”

“The doctors say she’ll be able to come home in a couple days. They’ll put the cast on her leg before she leaves.” Uncle Diggle nodded and my heart soared. My mom was going to be okay! “Roy and Thea are with her.”

“I just talked to Lyla and Amanda. They said Slade is definitely not in town right now, but they’ll let us know the moment he crosses the city lines.”

My dad laughed darkly. “I guess I should be happy it was a car accident and not Slade.”

Diggle clapped my dad on the back. “She’s going to be okay, Oliver. And Slade’s not around at the moment. Take this time to help her get better. We’ll get Slade when the team’s back together.”

My dad nodded. “I’m headed back there now. I just wanted to stop and pick up a few things.”

Uncle Diggle nodded. “Tell her I’ll be by later on to check in on her. I’m going to do some more cleaning up around here first. If she saw her computers like this I think she’d be headed straight back to the hospital.”

Dad gave him a ghost of a smile. Then, unexpectedly, he picked me up (bucket and all) and carried me up the stairs with him. He took me all the way to mom’s hospital room where she was sitting up in a bed with her leg propped up and a bandage around her head that obscured some of her beautiful golden hair. When we walked in, her face lit up.

“So that’s where you went! You brought the fern!” she said happily.

Dad set me down on a table across the room, then walked over to give Mom a kiss on the forehead. He let his lips linger for a second, and her eyes fluttered shut.

“I thought your room could use some sprucing up,” he murmured against her skin, causing her mouth to turn up in a smile.

“I love you, Oliver Queen,” she said seriously, turning up to meet his eyes.

He smiled then – the first real smile I’d seen from him since the masked man had shown up – and replied. “I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

 

Mom and Dad worked together with Uncle Diggle and Uncle Roy to track down and lock up the masked man not long after my short visit to the hospital. I got to witness my mom and dad go through the many ups and downs that come with marriage. There were moments when they were so sweet with one another that I thought Uncle Roy was going to throw up and moments when I cowered in my (new) pot because they were yelling at each other. However, there were never any moments that made me think that my parents didn’t love each other.

They show each other every day how much they mean to one another. Whether it is in the small smile my dad gives my mom, or the way my mom hugs my dad every time he came home dressed in that same green suit he was wearing when I first met him.

Our family is going through a change now. In the past few months, my mom’s belly has puffed up like a watermelon, and my dad has been smiling even more than usual around her. I sometimes even see him placing his hand on her round stomach, or even more rarely (and only when there’s no one else around) dropping to place a soft kiss on it. My mom sometimes teases him and calls him a big softie, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

About a week ago, my mom was here on the computers and my dad was out in his suit. As I watched her, she began to grimace and rub the side of her stomach. I could tell she was in pain and I could tell she didn’t want my dad to know because she kept muting the intercom in her ear every time she would gasp and bend over in pain. About a half an hour later, I could see her make up her mind about something.

“Oliver?” she asked softly. “Can you come back please?”

I couldn’t hear my dad’s response, but I saw my mom bite her lip.

“Because I need you to take me to the hospital.”

I couldn’t make out the words on the other end, but they were loud. My mom laughed and nodded even though he couldn’t see her.

Less than ten minutes later, my dad was rushing down the stairs and throwing off his green suit. He placed his hands on the sides of my mom’s face and gave her a quick kiss. “You ready?”

She nodded, and he helped her hobble across the room and up the stairs.

I hadn’t seen her since.

That was about to change though because I had heard my dad telling Uncle Diggle this morning that Felicity would be by later with the baby. I wasn’t sure what he meant by baby, but I was excited to see my mom again.

Just as I was starting to wonder when my mom was going to stop by (and I began to see my dad anxiously looking at his watch), I heard the familiar sound of her heels. As she came down the stairs, I noticed her carrying something. It looked almost like a small chair with a handle over top of it.

And there was something in it.

Dad’s face lit up, and so did Uncle Diggle and Uncle Roy’s when she got to the bottom of the stairs. Dad walked over to wrap his arm around her waist and take the handle from her. They walked together over to my desk, and dad set the seat down next to me. A yellow blanket flowed over the edge of the seat and landed under some of my longer leaves. My family hovered around the seat making gooey eyes and cooing noises at what was inside.

When I finally looked inside, I saw a tiny human – no larger than my pot – staring lovingly up at its family. The baby had my dad’s sandy hair and my mom’s bright blue eyes. I was in love with my new family member on the spot, and I could tell my parents were as well with the way they stared adoringly at the little bundle.

The baby yawned and reached its small hand out, grabbing one of my long branches and wrapping its tiny fist tightly around it. The baby yanked my branch forward towards its mouth (which my mom quickly saved me from). I could tell this baby and I were going to be good friends.

After all, we shared the best parents ever.

As I stared around at my family, I remembered the day that my mom had come in to adopt me. I truly was the luckiest fern in the world.


End file.
